Improvement in bee-hives



S. E. PAINE & WILLIAM KERR.

'Improvement in Bee Hives.

UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. PAINE AND WILLIAM KEER, OF XENIA, ILLINOIS.

)IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES'.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,724, dated February 13, 1872. f

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, S. E. PAINE and WM.

e KEER, of Xenia, in the county of Ola-y and vof this specification and to the letters and ures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawing is a representation of a vertical .longitudinal section of our invention. Fig. Zis a horizontal section of the same.

This invention has relation to bee-hives; and

the novelty consists in providing the bottom of the hive with tracks for the grooved combframe to slide in and out and rest upon. It also consists in the construction and arrangement of crevices in the bottom of the hive on each side of said comb-frame, designed as passages 'through which moths may be dislodged, all as hereinafter described.

In the drawin g, A represents an upright hive, resting on supports a, which elevate the bottom slightly. B represents a removable cover, the interior of which constitutes an apartment to hold the honey-box B. The floor of said apartment is also the top of the comb-frame apartment, containing the hinged comb-frames b and furnished With the hinged door b1. The bees are admitted to the comb-frame apartment through an aperture, b2, and can pass to the honey-box through the passages b3. The comb-frames are hinged side by side t0 the back lpart of a frame, C, which slides in and out of the hive. A button or sind, d, attached to each frame keeps them separated at their forward ends. D represents the floor of the the frame C. E represents one of the sides of the frame C, and F an inclined platform arin winter, and opened in summer for vcntilation. 'lhe platform F is made inclined, to admit of the easy removal by the bees of foreign bodies. H represents tracks, attached to the bottom of the hive and ruiming lengthwise. The bottom of the platform F and the back of the frame C are grooved to fit said tracks, and slide in and out on them, guiding the frame and lessening thefriction, thus rendering the removal and replacing of the frame C more easy. I I1 l? represent, respectively, ventilation-openings in the door D, platform F, and bottom of the hive. rlhe platform F has a screen, F covering' the opening Il, to prevent the entrance of insects, such as moths, Sac. I represents a sliding door, to cover the opening I2 in winter. K are crevices made in the bottom of the hive, on either side of the opening l2, close to the sides of the hive. They are del signed as means for the dislodgment of moths, and are therefore placed adjacent to the walls of the hive, upon which the moths are accustomed to crawl.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-

The improved bee-hive,having the crevices Kin the bottom and at the sides thereof ad- 

